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MOZART, SÜβMAYR, AND MUSICAL PROPOGANDA

The Composer information) at the abbey church. Within a few years he
Before his untimely death in 1803 at age thirty-sev- had composed “several operas that were performed in
en, Franz Xaver Süßmayr earned a place in the eminent the monastery theatre.” Later in that same decade he
7
musical circles of Vienna. His operas and ballets were moved to Vienna, where he taught music and performed
enthusiastically received by audiences in Europe’s cul- in the Hofburg Chapel choir [Hofkapelle] under Antonio
tural centers. His sacred music would persist in Austrian Salieri (1750-1825), who directed that organization from
churches for decades following his demise. In our own 1788 until 1824. 8
time Süßmayr is remembered, if he is remembered at Süßmayr’s association with the Mozart family began
all, as the much-maligned amanuensis who completed around 1790 when he began “occasional studies in com-
9
Mozart’s Requiem. Ironically, both his ascent and his position” with the master. He served Mozart as a copyist
virtual disappearance from Western musical culture are and almost certainly assisted him in composing the secco
10
inextricably tied to his sometime teacher and friend, recitatives for La clemenza di Tito. Michael Freyhan pos-
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. tulates that Süßmayr may also have been involved in the
Born in 1766, the son of an Austrian choirmaster, completion of Die Zauberfl öte, particularly the text under-
Süßmayr received his early musical training from his fa- lay that made its way into Simrock’s first edition (1814),

ther. At age thirteen he entered the monastery school considered superior to that found in Mozart’s autograph
11
at Kremsmünster where he received general musical in- score. While this remains speculative, it is plausible that
struction. During this time he also sang and played vi- the relationship between Süßmayr and the Mozarts was
olin and organ (to what extent we have no conclusive closer and friendlier than his detractors admit.

Benedictine Library (completed 1689) at Kremsmünster Abbey, Upper Austria.

28 CHORAL JOURNAL April 2021 Volume 61 Number 9